We ordered this fan to replace an older equivalent model, thinking it would be the easiest to install. The store where we purchased it did the work, but it did require some changes; it wasn't a straight plug-in replacement. The old one was noisy, but this one is even louder--so much so that we don't use it unless we have a lot of steam or strong odors, so we can't really comment on its effectiveness. Yes, we should have asked about the noise level. We might have been able to find a quieter model that would fit in the space without much retrofitting.